


Where were we?

by raealexie



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, miraculous
Genre: Ladybug - Freeform, Loveeater, Marinette - Freeform, adrien agrest - Freeform, chat noir - Freeform, loveeater spoilers, miraculous - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 05:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21453010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raealexie/pseuds/raealexie
Summary: Marinette is conflicted about her new duties as guardian and Ladybug. But a familiar face shows up and completely takes her mind off her troubles only to give her a new problem
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 5
Kudos: 82





	Where were we?

**Author's Note:**

> This fic contains spoilers for the season three finally.  
I don’t know when or if I will update this, it’s supposed to be a one shot but we’ll see how things go.  
Let me know what you think, I love feedback 😊

Marinette leaned on the railing of her balcony. A lot had happened in the last week, and now it was all catching up to her. Master Fu, Hawkmoth, everything felt like it was happening all at once and in slow motion all at once. Tikki and Wayzz flitted around the balcony, probably catching up from years apart. Marinette sighed and fiddled with the bracelet she now had. For her, the turtle miraculous became a turtle shell with a pink flower pattern on its back. It was different enough that she didn’t have to take it off to avoid suspicion. And Wayzz was helpful with giving her guardian tips. The Miracle Box was still sealed, and Marinette was just waiting for the day she could figure out how to get it back open.  


Hawkmoth had been suspiciously quite recently, probably upset he had to start back at square one for figuring out the Guardian’s (and Ladybug’s) new identity. It had given her time to think about all of the responsibilities on her shoulders. School, being the savior of Paris, finding Hawkmoth. It was, to say the least, a lot.  
She hadn’t told Tikki yet, but the thought of letting someone else be Ladybug had crossed her mind a couple of times. She had made a mistake and it cost her Master Fu and the identities of the other Miraculous users. She knew Tikki would hate the idea, and refute everything she said. So she was going to talk to Wayzz about it first... if she could find the time to do so.  


Marinette heard a familiar sound of a cat landing behind her. A wave of relief washed over her when she turned around and saw the Tikki and Wayzz had flitted out of sight of Chat Noir.  
“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he started. “I just saw you out here and figured you could use some company.”  


“Oh, um, yeah sure.” She gestured for him to come stand by her on the balcony. “Why are you out so late?”  


“Oh you know, just prowling around Paris. Getting some fresh air.”  


“I see.” She turned back to look out over the Paris night sky. The air was warm, and there was a faint breeze blowing against her face. The lights of the city twinkled, and there were sounds of cars honking and driving quickly by. Having such a crowded city to take responsibility for was such a crushing weight. All of Paris. It’s residents, it’s tourists, everyone. How was she going to be the Guardian and Ladybug and a student?  


“You OK, Marinette?” Chat’s voice startled her out of her thoughts. Just a couple weeks ago, she was confiding to him about her feelings about being Ladybug. Maybe, he could help her with her problem.  


She sighed. “You ever feel like you’re trying too hard to do everything everyone expects of you, and you feel like you can never do it right?”  
Chat Noir chuckled in agreement. “All the time.”  


“I know you’re a superhero and you have a civilian life, how do you do it?”  


“Ah well that’s a purrrfect question.”  
She laughed at his silly pun. How could he do that? Make her feel like there really wasn’t anything to worry about?  


“But a little nosey don’t you think?” He bopped her lightly on the nose with a finger. “Wouldn’t want you figuring out who the claw-some person behind this mask is.”  


She felt her face get red a little. Why was she feeling like this?  


“R-right, yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to be intruding.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, it’s just, recently I feel like everybody wants me to figure everything out. I have school and the bakery, and extra curriculars I’m trying to keep up with. Things that take up all of my time and I have to constantly be somewhere. I don’t have time to be myself or do things I enjoy anymore.”  


“Well, if anyone can do it, it’s you.” She felt Chat touch her shoulder, and she turned to face him. The smile he gave her was soft a reassuring. “I saw how you helped Ladybug and I when our backs were against the wall as Multimouse. If there is anyone who can handle anything thrown her way, it’s you Marinette.”  


Marinette smiled, but she could still feel the tears about to break. “What if it’s too much? What if the girl you saw as Multimouse made clumsy and awkward and has made mistakes that get people hurt?” There was no stopping the tears. “And I’ve just had to endure it and feel guilty about it every time.”  


Chat hugged her. The embrace was similar to when they were hugging in the Seine, when she had confided in him then. Except now it was Marinette and Chat Noir. It felt different. It felt like it was a long overdue hug. A type of hug that was reassuring and felt like nothing else mattered in the world as long as you were with that person.  


“Mari, I don’t know what you are going through, but I know that you are strong and you will get through it. Whatever mistakes you made, they were only that. Mistakes. We can’t feel guilty about it, we just have to accept that they happened and learn from them.”  


She sunk into his chest, sniffling. She felt his hand on her head, gently smoothing her hair down. “Mari?” He asked gently.  


“I’m OK,” she responded softly. She pushed herself back to look at him, and started giggling. “I’m tired, I guess.” She wiped away tears. Chat didn’t look convinced. He put both hands on her shoulders.  


“Would you like to talk about it more?”  
She shook her head. “No, tell me about you. I don’t want to think about me anymore.”  


Chat thought for a minute, thinking of things he could tell her without being revealing. “Well, you’re a girl...”  


“How observant.” She rolled her eyes. “You need girl advice? Without being too specific perhaps?” Something in her heart twinged when she suggested he needed dating advice.  


“Well, not really advice.” He shifted his feet, not knowing what to really say. “Just someone to talk to.” Mari walked over to a chair and sat down. She patted the seat next to her. She could feel her heart pounding, wondering what he was going to say. She had noticed he had stoped calling Ladybug affectionate nicknames. Maybe he did find a girlfriend? But why did that notion seem to hurt so much? Maybe she was just projecting what she had felt about Adrien onto Chat. She made a point of ignoring how her heart was in her throat, or how when he looked at her with his soft green eyes, her face flushed.  


“And so she kissed me, and I really like her. But it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.”  


Oh shoot, he started talking, she thought.  


“I wasn’t disappointed with it. It was just...sudden. And romance isn’t what I thought it was going to be. I thought that if Ladybug and I ever became a couple, it would be so fairytale like. And with this other girl, I don’t have the same love at first sight feeling. It’s nice, but there is also another girl I like who I thought was just a friend, but she’s really special to me. And I’m not sure how to tell the girl I kissed how conflicted I’m feeling. I don’t want to hurt her.”  


“Maybe love at first sight isn’t real,” Marinette chimed in, not having listened to anything after “love at first sight” and not really thinking about what she was saying. “Maybe love is friendships growing into something more.” She looked over at Chat, noticing he was staring at her as if she had just said something profound. She reflected on her relationship with Adrien, and how she thought about that day he gave her the umbrella. How she saw him and in that moment she “fell in love”. Was it real? It had certainly felt real. But, how can you love someone if you don’t know them. “I used to like this boy, and I thought that I loved him. I took one look and I was head over heels, obsessed. Almost to a comical point.” She laughed at herself and her crazy schedules, following Adrien around, trying to have a conversation with him. “And there is something about friendships that can grow into something more. For example our friendship-“ she realized what she said and the context of it. It wasn’t what she was going for but now she had said it and Chat Noir was looking at her with wide eyes. “I-I mean....uhhhh I didn’t mean we’d be something more. I just meant that we’ve grown as lovers. I mean friends! Like I like how I’ve gotten to know you. I mean we are getting to know each other....”  


She put her head in her hands. “Sorry...” she muttered. She heard Chat Noir laugh a bit.  


“It’s ok Mari, I know what you meant.”  


Why was she suddenly stuttering around him? Why was she acting like how she acted around Adrien? Oh god... did she? No, she was just talking about how love at first sight wasn’t real. But that was the problem, it wasn’t. They had grown as friends, and the more she got to know him, the more she felt comfortable around him. And definitely a little tongue tied. Her mind went back to that hug in the Seine. How comforting her partners embrace felt. It was him and her against the world. That’s what he had said. They were partners that trusted each other no matter what.  


“Marinette? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. We don’t have to talk about my girl problems.”  


“It’s ok, sometimes I trip over my words and say the wrong thing.”  


“I know,” he laughed. “It’s fine, I’m overly flirtatious. And obtuse,” he added. Marinette smiled at her partner. It was nice to have someone with her who poked fun at them self and eased the tension. “I mean, Ladybug told me so many times that she wasn’t interested. And I never took the hint.”  


“I tried to tell the guy I liked that I liked him multiple times and he never took the hint either.”  


“Well, he was missing out then,” Chat commented. Marinette’s face flushed bright red. Oh why would he say something like that. And why did he have to flash that dopey smile.  


She shrugged. “Not really. Adrien is a model and great at everything. Besides, I’m clumsy and awkward and well, it wouldn’t have worked out anyways.” Did she have to tell him all of this? It hurt, but it was a faded hurt. Like after an injury has healed, but then the weather changes and you can feel it again. She glanced at her kitty, who was a bright red color and wide eyed.  


“Adrien...Agrest?”  


“Yeah. Silly right? Just another fanatic with a supermodel crush.” She made a wide armed gesture around her head. “He goes to school with me, and...” she thought a bit. Should she tell him this? He didn’t know who she was so it was alright. Right? Well, she was already venting so might as well. “He, gave me an umbrella the first day back at school. And the whole time after that, I thought I loved him. But I barely knew him! I stuttered my words and acted foolish.” She sighed. “Wow, that feels good to talk about with someone else. Obviously my best friend Alya knows... but she’s heard the story multiple times. And telling it to new people, especially now that I know how silly it sounds...thank you.”  


Chat Noir looked like he was about to cry, or laugh or scream or...something? What an odd look his face had.  


“Are you OK?” He nodded.  


“Mari, what if told you, that that guy is stupid.”  


“What?!” Now She was feeling anger. That was her friend. And it wasn’t his fault he didn’t like her back. Besides, now that she definitely, totally, and completely didn’t have feelings for him, she liked their friendship a lot more. “Take that back right now. I was talking about my own feelings. Adrien Agrest is one of the nicest people I know. He’s genuine and caring and smart. He’s the greatest model in Paris, and he’s stood up for me multiple times.” She stood up as she said this, letting fury get the best of her. “And now that we are friends I know him better. And I know that he would never hurt me and that it was my own feelings that got in the way of being friends with him.” She was pacing now. “Of course I would’ve liked to date him. Who wouldn’t? But he’s in love with someone else and it hurt a lot but he’s happy and I’m happy and everyone’s happy!”  


She turned to face her partner, about to yell at him some more, but realized how his ears had turned back. He sitting straight up, and staring straight ahead.  


“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.  


She felt guilt wash over her. She had yelled at him when he was just trying to make her happy. “Please don’t be. You were just trying to cheer me up...I...I didn’t mean to explode at you...”  


“Mari, you don’t get it. I’m sorry. For all of that pain I caused you. For everything. I should have known.”  


What was he even talking about. He had only said something that struck a nerve accidentally. He didn’t mean to? Why did he look so sad?  


“If I had known...If I hadn’t been so dense...” He walked over to her and put a hand on her cheek. Such a small gesture, but one that made Marinette’s heart flutter again. “Things would’ve been different. My everyday Ladybug.” He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.  


And then he was gone. She saw his silhouette against the Parisian lights until he was a dot in the distance.

**Author's Note:**

> Update: I’ve decided this story best ends here, and will be moving onto other projects. Thank you all for your feedback 😊


End file.
